


Happy Tails

by ferretbaby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Stray Animals, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-28
Updated: 2012-06-28
Packaged: 2017-11-08 17:45:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/445811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ferretbaby/pseuds/ferretbaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles has a problem. A very serious problem it seems to Derek.</p>
<p>“A toad?”</p>
<p>“Kiss it! Maybe this time you’ll get a real prince and not a werewolf!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Tails

**Author's Note:**

> What? I should be getting ready for my college algebra final in a week or maybe working on finishing one of my other fics, but someone requested Stiles adopting multiple strays on the kinkmeme and I had some inspiration. Season 2 spoilers, and it should be complacent but I don't want to assume. Technically I would call it an AU. Then again now all my TW fics are considered AU's because I mostly assumed Jackson was going to be a wolf. 
> 
> Unbetaed!

***

The first time Derek even unknowingly encountered the problem with Stiles is when he goes to visit Scott while the teen is at work.

Unsurprisingly, Stiles is already there. Always sticking his nose in pack business even though he’s a human and Derek is meeting Scott alpha-to-alpha. They don’t need the human to monitor their interactions anymore.

Stiles is crouched in front of a cage of bunnies for sale in the veterinary lobby, cooing at the fluffy creatures and shielding them from Derek’s view.

“You know I don’t _actually_ eat rabbits.” Derek says, looming over Stiles as the teen cups one of the grey furballs to his chest. Stiles blinks up at him, wary of the alpha even though his group and Scott’s have come to a consensus.

Derek smirks, showing off a sharp fang. “A least not domesticated ones.”

Stiles gapes at him, huddling even closer to the bunnies until Scott comes out from the employee’s only designated area and gets the other alpha’s attention.

Derek tries not to smile in satisfaction when he hears Stiles muttering to the rabbits about sticking around to protect them. He’s just happy to have a discussion with Scott without Stiles butting in for once.

****

Not even three weeks later Derek catches Stiles with tears in his eyes.

Looking around for a threat and giving the teen a furtive sniff, Derek internally freaks out. He’s never encountered an upset Stiles before and has no idea what to do.

“Are you…okay?” Derek asks, once he’s figured out Stiles is alone and contained in his room without danger. Stiles being upset though has made him anxious and Derek’s kind of at a loss of what to do if he can’t growl at it or bite it into submission and Stiles is smiling goofily again. He stands uncomfortable in the middle of the room, shifting from foot to foot as Stiles focuses watery eyes elsewhere.

Stiles motions towards his TV. On the screen is a haggard trembling dog, slow country music playing in the background as someone asks for donations for the ASPCA.

Stiles is crying because of a commercial.

Derek glares at Stiles for a minute before turning around and walking back out of the room.

***

Derek is sometimes surprised to look back at his and Stiles’ past relationship and classify it as ‘unfriendly’ when he compares it to their relationship now. He would have measured it as something bordering on pleasant and even welcoming when they were battling Peter, but then there was the whole thing with the Kanima, and the Argents, Scott becoming his own alpha by right, and only now does Derek understand what exactly being friends with Stiles entitles.

Being friends with Stiles must also mean that Stiles gets certain liberties with Derek that he usually wouldn’t extend to his other friends or pack mates because Stiles treats Derek differently than he’s ever been treated before.

And Stiles is just…Stiles.

“What is that?” Derek points at the cat carrier placed on his bedroom floor.

Stiles leans back against Derek’s makeshift desk, hands still spread wide in reception when Derek walked into his room.

“What?”

The cat carrier growls ominously.

“You hear something?” Stiles tries to look clueless and Derek stares back balefully.

“You brought a cat into a wolf’s den?”

“Oh come on, don’t be such a grumpy gills, it’s just an innocent cat.” Stiles pauses. “Uh, do you have an inexplicable urge to chase it up a tree? Is that why you’re mad?”

Derek rolls his eyes, turning his back on the teen so he can undress. He’d been out in the woods with Boyd and Scott, training and testing their limits so they’d gotten rather dirty and his t-shirt was hanging onto his chest by threads.

“Oh!” Stiles squeaked, his heart beat speeding up. “I’ll just wait outside, you know so I don’t, um, you know I’ll just go now. Wait…over…there?”

Derek looks over his shoulder, see’s Stiles staring at his naked back with wide eyes. “Why do you have a cat with you anyways?”

Stiles’ stumbles, his hip bumping into the edge of the table. “Huh? Oh, um, it’s a stray.”

“And you just caught it and decided to carry it around?”

“No. I’m dropping him off at the human society on my way home, I just wanted to stop by here first.”

Derek gave Stiles a curious look.

“And now that I have I’m out of here! I’ll text you later, maybe? I have to study for a chemistry test tonight so don’t hold your breath.”

Derek gave a dry chuckle as the cat grumbled in displeasure, Stiles running out of Derek’s place before he even really explained why he’d stopped by.

***

Stiles is an animal lover.

This shouldn’t be surprising to Derek considering he’s a werewolf and Stiles has never had a problem with that, but he hasn’t known how bad Stiles was until he actually saw it for what is was.

“Leave the bird alone.”

“Nooo…” Stiles whines, shuffling forward on his knees so he can get a closer look without disturbing the broken nest. “Poor little guy. I think he’s hurt.”

Derek leans back against the rotting wood of his old house and rolls his eyes. They’re waiting for the others to arrive so they can have a meeting, there’s been tension between Erica and Allison again and that’s making Scott agitated.

Derek sighs. “Leave it.”

Stiles predictably ignores him. “Come on little buddy, its okay,” he coos, holding his hand out for the ugly blackbird hatchling to hop onto. “Stiles just wants to help, don’t be scared.”

Derek quietly walks over to stand behind Stiles, hoping to scare the teen he’ll leave the bird alone.

Stiles alternates between whistling and clucking at the bird. The bird grumpily stares back, hunkering down into the wet leaves.

“You know,” Derek says making Stiles startle. Derek smirks but Stiles doesn’t turn around to look at him, his focus completely back on the blackbird. “If you touch him the mother will smell you on him and abandon him. He’s better off without your help.”

Stiles pulls his hand back, looking unsure.

“Really?”

Derek sets a hand on the teen’s shoulder, something he never would have thought of doing before; touching Stiles. “Yeah. He’s not injured, just wet and cranky. His moms probably out trying to find dinner.”

“Will he be okay by himself? What if a bigger animal comes around and tries to eat him?”

Derek helps Stiles stand up, gently directing the boy away from the ruined nest and bird. “Sometimes animals benefit when humans don’t interfere with them. He’ll be fine.”

He never would have seen himself comforting Stiles like this a year ago, but the teen reluctantly looks away from the animal and shuffles closer to Derek, his body shivering in the cool damp air. Stiles no longer spooks at his presence or snark at him in passive-aggressive anger, he easily flows into Derek personal space like he knows he’s always welcome, even if he’s just seeking warmth from the cold autumn climate.

“Okay, if you say so.”

Derek chuckles, leaving a hand on Stiles’ lower back as he steers the teen back towards the front of the house where he can hear Isaac and Boyd waiting.

Stiles is unusually quiet during the meeting, and every once in a while Derek catches him looking over towards the side of the house with a frown on his face.

***

Stiles abandons Derek on what will be known as their first unofficial date because he finds a stray dog wandering around in an alley as they head towards the diner for a late lunch.

“Stiles, no.”

Stiles pouts at Derek, full on sticking out his bottom lip pouting. Derek is so distracted by Stiles’ pink lips that he misses his chance to really dispute with Stiles about leaving the stray animal alone.

Stiles jostles around in his pockets looking for something to feed the dog. The dog eyes them warily from behind the dumpster, a growl rumbling deep in its chest.

Derek narrows his eyes at the beast.

“Hey there buddy, I’m just trying to help.” Stiles calmly says to the animal, finding half a Slim Jim in his back pocket and offering it to the dog. Derek huffs loudly, he’d been hoping to steal that treat for himself later if things had gone in his favor.

Derek grunts, elbowing Stiles aside. “Here, let me.”

Stiles looks startled and stares flabbergasted at him as Derek snatches the treat from his hands. Derek crouches low and whistles loudly for the dog’s attention. The dog perks its ears up and slinks forward, belly low to the ground. Stiles smiles beatifically down at Derek and Derek feels something in his chest swell as Stiles leans into his side so he can watch.

“But we’re not taking him to the vet in my car.” Derek grouches, eyes flashing red at the dog in warning, guarding the teen as Stiles clicks his tongue at the mangy mutt and holds out a hand for the dog to sniff. The dog takes one look at Derek and whimpers, tail going between his legs as he rolls over onto his back. Stiles laughs and scratches at the dogs belly.

“Oh!” Stiles glances back at Derek with a surprised smile. “That’s an unexpected benefit, you being a alpha. I bet you can get any animal to listen to you if you go all glowy-eyed.”

Derek shrugs, keeping a watchful eye on the dog in case he snaps at Stiles.

Stiles pats Derek on the back once the dog is completely under the humans thrall. “Now I know who to call when I find a stray. Might cut back on those emergency hospital visits when I get bitten.”

Derek groans in dismay.

***

Predictably, it takes a while for Stiles to figure out that they’re dating, mostly because he’s occupied with taking care of an orphaned hedgehog he volunteered to foster for Scott until a new home could be found.

Stiles pulls back with a wet smack of lips, hands still holding the little prickly animal to his shoulder.

“Did you just kissed me?”

Derek smirks, quirking an eyebrow in amusement. “Well I figured it was about time.”

“Time?” Stiles says in stunned surprise.

Shrugging, Derek runs his hands down from Stiles’ neck to his biceps, gripping the firm muscles there. The little creature in Stiles’ hands uncurls from his protective ball, nose twitching at the new scent.

“Time?” Stiles repeats a little hysterically. “About time for what, to maul my face off via lip service?”

“Pretty much.” Derek gives Stiles his cheesy fake-smile, hoping that Stiles understands he’s just being a smart ass and not teasing him. “We’ve been going out for months.”

“We have?” Stiles furrows his brows in thought. “But…wait. All those meetings and lunches together, I thought? Hold on! Does that mean…?”

Derek distracts himself by caressing the pale skin at the edge of Stiles’ sleeve as the human contemplates all their interactions over the last few months. Derek has never felt skin as soft at Stiles, for all the scrapes and hard work that Stiles does throughout the day it’s a little surprising and very enjoyable. He wonders if all of Stiles is as soft?

Stiles pats at Derek’s cheeks with one hand, the other still holding the hedgehog.

“Derek! You listening dude? Oh my god, you inform me we’re dating then promptly ignore me, just great, way to start a relationship dude. Are you going to start forgetting anniversaries next or should I just expect the break-up text tomorrow?”

Rolling his eyes the alpha takes a step back from Stiles. “No, I’m listening.”

Stiles snorts, heads over to his desk to put the hedgehog back into its temporary cage then quickly migrates back over to Derek’s side.

“Sit.” Stiles orders, pointing at his bed. Derek gives the teen a luscious smirk before following instructions. Stiles pointedly rolls his computer chair over so he can sit in front of Derek instead, obviously intent on grilling him. Stiles leans back in his chair, folding his arms and crossing his legs as he stares Derek down like Derek owes him money.

“Now. From the beginning, how long exactly have we been dating and why are you such a prude as to only kiss me now?”

***

Of course the first time the Sheriff’s away on a long weekend a bird flies into Stiles’ window.

“A weekend of sex. Full on sex. Any position, as loud as we want to be, for hours on end and no one to disturb us for once.” Derek stares disbelieving at Stiles.

Naked except for his underwear, Stiles hovers over the shoe box where Derek had put the bird once he’d stopped panicking and figured out what exactly had made the loud ‘bang’.

“But Derek, I think its wing is broken. We need to nurse it back to heath.”

Derek sighs, gets dressed, and drags his feet over to Stiles’ computer to look up how to take care of injured birds.

***

Derek’s leg is half way through the window when he pauses.

“Really Stiles?”

Stiles pokes his head out from under the covers and tries to look innocent.

Derek stumbles the rest of the way inside the teen’s room and shuts the window behind him, shaking his head to get the rain out of his hair.

“You know I can smell them right?”

“Yeah well, you smell like wet dog.” Stiles grumbles back, bunching the covers over his midsection.

Derek grunts, he’s conceded himself to dog jokes for what’s probably the rest of his life when he decided to date Stiles. “How many are there?”

Stiles watches with luminous eyes as Derek shrugs off his leather jacket and wet jeans, leaving just his t-shirt and boxers.

“How many what? I have no clue what you’re talking about?”

There’s a distinctive ‘mewl’ from under the covers. Derek raises an eyebrow, hands going to his hips as he stares the human down.

Stiles predictably breaks after about a second and a half.

“Okay, I just couldn’t leave them. They were outside in the rain, and it’s only three of them, and I promise, tomorrow I’m taking them straight to the vet. Swear on my life, I won’t try to sneak one back home.”

Derek sighs heavily, moving forward so he could kneel over Stiles, his knees sinking into the mattress under his weight. He had to peel Stiles’ fingers from the covers but once he did he was able to pull back the blankets enough to get a good look. Three tiny kitten were nestled against Stiles’ abdomen, two sleeping soundly while one orange fellow squinted up at Derek like he was personally offended by Derek’s audacity.

Stiles curled closer to them, trying to keep them under the shelter of the blankets and his warm body. Derek had a startling vision of Stiles curled around their pups, protective and gentle at the same time. Swallowing thickly, Derek moves around into the bed behind Stiles, making sure the covers were tucked tightly around them as he tangled their feet together.

“Don’t roll over onto them in the middle of the night, I’m tired and I don’t want to be woken up by cats howling.” Derek mutters as he settles down into the warm nest Stiles had created. Stiles smiles ecstatically, leaning back to drop a quick kiss against Derek’s lips.

They settle into a blissful sleep, warm and safe in their den, three small kittens purring contently in the background.

***

Derek is walking innocently past his bedroom on his way to kitchen when he has to backtrack.

“Stiles…” He grumbles, looking at the scene on his bed as he leans against the door frame.

Stiles is at the bottom of the pile, three formally kicked out then reluctantly accepted again betas- who Derek still doesn’t want to see until his temper is more under control- are snuggled up to the teenager like pups.

Stiles waves weakly from under the covers of Derek’s bed, Erica drooling against his bandaged shoulder as Isaac and Boyd cling to the human from either side. He half wants to growl at them for breaching his space while Stiles heals and is bewildered that Stiles was somehow able to get them into Derek’s house and into his room without him noticing or Stiles leaving the bed.

Sighing loudly, Derek admits defeat. He’s never going to be able to oppose Stiles. Ever.

“They your responsibility now, and they better not be here in the morning.” Derek says, relief easing down his spine when Stiles gives him a sleepy smile.

Isaac wiggles closer to Stiles.

***

“Scott I fucking hate you,” Derek mutters.

“What?” Scott laughs, trying to look offended but he fails once he catches Derek’s expression. “It’s just a puppy.”

Indeed, it is just a puppy. Derek actually likes puppies, they’re more manageable then beta werewolves and human teenagers combined, but only an idiot would give Stiles a puppy.

Stiles is giggling on the couch, squirming ball of canine fluff cradled in his arms. “Who’s the smartest puppy-wuppy in the world, yes you are, you’re the smartest puppy in the world. Who wants a belly rub? Do you want a belly rub? Oh of course you do, all the smart puppies get belly rubs.”

Scott smirks at Derek over Stiles’ shoulder. “Jealous?”

Derek makes a cutting motion across his neck then points at the other alpha.

Stiles can barely drag his eyes away from the puppy to look at Scott.

“Scott, my man, I love you. Seriously, how can no one want to adopt this little girl? She’s the cutest thing ever and so smart too!” Stiles proceeds to give Eskimo kisses to the fuzzball and the puppy licks the teens face back in ecstatic adulation.

“She’s not properly house trained.” Scott informs them. Derek immediately starts mourning for his clean carpets. “Dr. Deacon is thinking about sending her to a doggy-therapy assistant training facility thing but he doesn’t want to send her without having her properly weaned and house broken first. I know how good you are with animals and thought you wouldn’t mind doing it.”

Stiles looks surprised by the compliment. “Yeah, thanks, I don’t mind at all. Is there a time frame I need to work in?”

Scott shrugs.

Derek glares at Scott from behind Stiles’ back.

***

Derek trudges inside his house, spots Stiles at the dinner table reading a book, and drops a toad in the human’s lap.

“What the…?” Stiles fumbles, one hand cupping the toad’s back so it can’t hop away as he organizes his stuff around to make room. Once things are settles and Derek is rustling around in the fridge looking for something to drink, Stiles pulls his hand back so he can look at the ‘present’ Derek brought him today.

“A toad?”

“Kiss it! Maybe this time you’ll get a real prince and not a werewolf!” Isaac yells from the living room. There’s laughter from the other members of the pack, all huddled together watching the game. Even Allison and Erica are getting along today.

Derek snorts. “Idiots.” He takes a long pull from his glass of tea and Stiles watching mesmerized as his throat works, sweat glistens off the alpha’s tanned skin. Stiles is jarred from his daydream when the empty glass clinks against the wood of the table.

Derek looks at Stiles, nodding towards his lap where Stiles is still holding the toad. “I found it on the porch. I think its leg is lame.”

Stiles looks down, moving his hands aside slowly to verify this. The toad just sits dispassionately in his lap.

“Well I…” Stiles has no clue what to do with a lame toad. “I guess we’ll keep an eye on him tonight and if he seems injured we can take him to the vet tomorrow?” Really, the money Dr. Deacon makes off Stiles probably goes straight to Scott’s paycheck every week they’re in there so often.

Derek nods, no longer concerned about the toad as he slides his chair closer to Stiles. “What are you working on?”

“Huh? Oh! I’m just reading a book I found at the book store, nothing research related. Unless you think that zombies are real and Mr. Darcy is going to help? Are zombies real, because you told me that vampires weren’t and you saw how that worked out, you’re lucky Lydia was around to scare them off.”

Derek gives Stiles _the look,_ the one he’s been giving Stiles since Stiles kept him from drowning in the pool all that time ago. The one that says ‘you’re a strange creature and I don’t understand you, but I really want to’.

Stiles laughs, unperturbed, then leans over to give his boyfriend a thorough kiss.

The toad gives a croak.

 


End file.
